Potpourri: Bill For New County Court Powers Forward

February 3, 2018 at 5:36 a.m.

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COURTING SUCCESS – A State Senate bill that would create a new court in Kosciusko County continues to move through the legislative process with ease. Senate Bill 126 was approved 49-0 by the Senate and is headed to the House, where State Rep. David Wolkins has signed on to serve as the sponsor.

State Sen. Randall Head is the original author and is joined by Ryan Mishler. Other co-authors include State Sen. Blake Doriot from Elkhart County and two state senators from Indianapolis.



TRAIN CRASH UPDATE – U.S. Rep. Jim Banks and his wife, Amanda, were on the Amtrak train that collided with a trash truck in West Virgina earlier this week, killing the truckdriver. Banks used social media to let people know they escaped injury and offered prayers to those injured and their families. Banks was among a large group of Republicans on the train and headed to a GOP retreat.

Banks represents the 3rd District. He and his wife live in Columbia City. Amanda is employed with Grace College and Seminary as director of public relations.

Fellow Republican Jackie Walorski, 2nd District, was not on the train. She used Facebook to let constituents know she was not involved and offered prayers.



QUOTE OF THE WEEK – During a workshop on strategic planning, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer told city council members  his concern about safety issues on U.S. 30. He said it’s become a top priority.

Afterward, he was reminded of former Mayor Jeff Plank’s oft-heard comment that he didn’t want to see Warsaw become another Kokomo, which became loaded with stoplights along U.S. 31.

The state has since constructed a limited access highway from South Bend to Indy, skirting Kokomo, and is looking at a similar kind of plan for much of U.S. 30 in Indiana.

Thallemer said he doesn’t think Kokomo’s congestion problem back then matches what Warsaw is facing, and noted that such problems come with commercial growth.

“When Menards and Meijer come knocking and our community demands that retail, those are hard decisions,” Thallemer said.



POO ADDS UP – The Watershed Foundation sent out one of its newsletters this week. The group’s newsletters often hit on a variety of issues involving water quality issues, and this week’s was dog-related.

In the newsletter, Lyn Crighton, TWF’s executive director, was asked in a Q-and-A format what best to do with dog doodoo.

Crighton responded that the best practice is to pick up and dispose of the waste. She added that most dogs produce about three-quarters of a pound of waste per day. Annually, the newsletter points out, that adds up to about 300 pounds.

Something to ponder this weekend.

COURTING SUCCESS – A State Senate bill that would create a new court in Kosciusko County continues to move through the legislative process with ease. Senate Bill 126 was approved 49-0 by the Senate and is headed to the House, where State Rep. David Wolkins has signed on to serve as the sponsor.

State Sen. Randall Head is the original author and is joined by Ryan Mishler. Other co-authors include State Sen. Blake Doriot from Elkhart County and two state senators from Indianapolis.



TRAIN CRASH UPDATE – U.S. Rep. Jim Banks and his wife, Amanda, were on the Amtrak train that collided with a trash truck in West Virgina earlier this week, killing the truckdriver. Banks used social media to let people know they escaped injury and offered prayers to those injured and their families. Banks was among a large group of Republicans on the train and headed to a GOP retreat.

Banks represents the 3rd District. He and his wife live in Columbia City. Amanda is employed with Grace College and Seminary as director of public relations.

Fellow Republican Jackie Walorski, 2nd District, was not on the train. She used Facebook to let constituents know she was not involved and offered prayers.



QUOTE OF THE WEEK – During a workshop on strategic planning, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer told city council members  his concern about safety issues on U.S. 30. He said it’s become a top priority.

Afterward, he was reminded of former Mayor Jeff Plank’s oft-heard comment that he didn’t want to see Warsaw become another Kokomo, which became loaded with stoplights along U.S. 31.

The state has since constructed a limited access highway from South Bend to Indy, skirting Kokomo, and is looking at a similar kind of plan for much of U.S. 30 in Indiana.

Thallemer said he doesn’t think Kokomo’s congestion problem back then matches what Warsaw is facing, and noted that such problems come with commercial growth.

“When Menards and Meijer come knocking and our community demands that retail, those are hard decisions,” Thallemer said.



POO ADDS UP – The Watershed Foundation sent out one of its newsletters this week. The group’s newsletters often hit on a variety of issues involving water quality issues, and this week’s was dog-related.

In the newsletter, Lyn Crighton, TWF’s executive director, was asked in a Q-and-A format what best to do with dog doodoo.

Crighton responded that the best practice is to pick up and dispose of the waste. She added that most dogs produce about three-quarters of a pound of waste per day. Annually, the newsletter points out, that adds up to about 300 pounds.

Something to ponder this weekend.
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